Measuring Pilot Physiology During In-Flight Training and Implications for Real-Time Monitoring
INTRODUCTION: Real-time monitoring of pilots through physiological responses may provide a means of identifying onset of degraded states. This could potentially be used to introduce methods of preventing negative impacts to performance. However, few studies to date have examined whether quantitative physiological data can successfully be recorded in actual flight, with even fewer during extreme maneuvering. METHODS: An observational study was completed where physiological data was collected from three Army aviators while they completed an upset prevention and recovery training. The training was through a private company not affiliated with the Department of Defense. Subjects completed multiple flights within a small, acrobatic fixed-wing aircraft. Physiological data [electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography] were recorded continuously in flight. RESULTS: The physiological data were evaluated for signal loss and signal quality. The electrocardiography signals were determined as excellent quality based on the metrics proposed previously, with minimal signal loss. Similarly, the EEG recordings had near zero loss of data, except for one of the participant’s flights. The EEG quality was determined to be acceptable. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates an important step in real-time monitoring. It was demonstrated that qualitative physiological data can successfully be recorded in flight during extreme maneuvering. Further research is needed to determine the utility of such data in relation to pilot state and performance. Demonstration that this type of data can be successfully collected in flight while pilots undergo extreme maneuvers provides promise for using these types of measures across a variety of flight scenarios where a pilot’s cognitive states may become degraded. Yue X, Andres K, Duffy MJ, Rodriguez R, Aura CJ, Feltman KA. Measuring pilot physiology during in-flight training and implications for real-time monitoring. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025; 96(5):447–452.
Depiction of cloth helmet worn by subjects over EEG system.
Depiction of how the laptop and tablet were secured for flight. Left: Polar tablet and EEG laptop in helmet storage behind instructor pilot seat. Right: Polar tablet and EEG laptop fully secured.
Examples of ECG signals representing two different data quality levels: excellent and barely acceptable. In each plot, the x-axis represents time in minutes, and the y-axis shows signal values normalized across the recording. The top plot displays an example of an ECG signal classified as excellent, whereas the bottom plot presents an ECG signal classified as “barely acceptable.”
Data loss and quality in EEG recordings by flights. The top plot displays the percentage of data loss in EEG recording across the different pilots. The bottom plot shows the SNR for each EEG channel, represented by different colored line, across various flights. The x-axis shows the recording flights (Pilot A is excluded due to considerable signal drop), while the y-axis indicates the SNR values.
Contributor Notes
